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Franco-American frame ID

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Franco-American frame ID

Old 11-21-21, 08:49 PM
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Franco-American frame ID

Help!

In short, I'm hoping someone will recognize features of the frame. I'm 90 percent sure the fork is Schwinn. It takes a 21mm stem, but the headset is of the French bear trap variety. Maybe rethreaded?

The frame weight is about 2,000 grams and the dropouts are forged Simplex. The fork is about 820 grams. Frame tubing is metric and the seatpost is 26.0. It came to me spaced to 126mm but probably via cold setting. The pump pegs on the downtube suggest 60s or early 70s, at least that's my limited understanding, and I believe spacing from the factory would have been 120. The closest I can find in catalogs in the internet is a late 60s Gitane TdF from the European market. Good tubing, downtube pump pegs. I could be way off!

The frame and fork were paired and professionally painted before they came in my possession. But the lug lining is all me. My first time...

I'm using it as a vintage All Road bike and for long group rides on mixed surfaces, and I plan to race it in the vintage class at Gravel World's next year.

I'm including photos of dropouts and lugs and stamped numbers. Any help is appreciated.







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Old 11-22-21, 02:19 PM
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hmmm, don't know about being a Gitane, at least not one of the usual US-spec models. With BCM lugs and Simplex DOs I am surprised it takes a 26 seatpost: is there a sleeve in the seat tube? This does not appear to be a lower-grade model that would have used thick-wall plain gauge tubing but could be.
You say the fork is a Schwinn but why? what make are the fork ends? I doubt somebody would re-thread a .833" steerer to fit a Stronglight HS, but...who knows?
One thing you need is to add the fitted spacers on that brake bridge so you don't crush the small tube any more than already done!

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Old 11-23-21, 03:46 AM
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That's a very nice build - good job!

While I think the fork does look like a replacement, I'm with unworthy1 on this - why do you think it's from a Schwinn?

As for the frame, I think most of the features are consistent with early-mid 70s Follis. Either a 072 or a 172. If the 26.0 seatpost size is correct, I think that might be too small for even plain gauge Reynolds 531 - 172s had 3 main tubes of DB Reynolds 531. So, maybe a 072 GL?
It would have originally come with either a head tube decal or with a 3-rivet metal badge (in which case the holes were covered up before the repaint).

The serial on the bb shell looks like it was stamped post-repaint? Is there any sort of number on the rear non-drive side dropout?

Here are some examples:









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Old 12-01-21, 06:43 PM
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Originally Posted by MauriceMoss
That's a very nice build - good job!

While I think the fork does look like a replacement, I'm with unworthy1 on this - why do you think it's from a Schwinn?

As for the frame, I think most of the features are consistent with early-mid 70s Follis. Either a 072 or a 172. If the 26.0 seatpost size is correct, I think that might be too small for even plain gauge Reynolds 531 - 172s had 3 main tubes of DB Reynolds 531. So, maybe a 072 GL?
It would have originally come with either a head tube decal or with a 3-rivet metal badge (in which case the holes were covered up before the repaint).

The serial on the bb shell looks like it was stamped post-repaint? Is there any sort of number on the rear non-drive side dropout?

Here are some examples:








Thank you for the info in Follis! I'm not familiar with them but I agree based on photos. I believe the NDS dropout has A64 stamped. Will double check. How can I check if there is a sleeve in the seat tube? Nothing is apparent to me.

unworthy1 thanks for the tip on the brake bridge. I will get it sorted.

My only reason for thinking the fork is Schwinn is the .8333 and the crown, big tire clearance. Here are a few recent photos. We rode in East Texas over the holiday.





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